JON VENABLES FACES NEW PAROLE REVIEW AS JAMES BULGER’S FAMILY PUSHES FOR A PUBLIC HEARING

JON VENABLES is facing another parole review — as James Bulger’s family makes a renewed push for greater transparency over the process surrounding his possible release.

The Parole Board has confirmed that it has received applications from James Bulger’s family asking for Venables’ forthcoming parole hearing to be held in public.

The applications were submitted by Denise and Stuart Fergus, James Bulger’s parents, as well as representatives for James’ brothers Jimmy and Ralph Bulger.

The move comes more than three decades after two-year-old James was abducted and murdered in Merseyside in 1993.

FAMILY CALLS FOR TRANSPARENCY

According to the Parole Board, Denise and Stuart Fergus argue that a public hearing could improve understanding of the parole process and help address what they describe as continuing misinformation and intense discussion surrounding the case.

They also argue that public scrutiny could help explain how risk is assessed and managed when considering Venables’ possible release.

The family says greater transparency would allow justice to be “seen to be done” and could help victims’ families better understand how the decision is reached.

The application also points to Venables’ subsequent convictions as an adult and argues that these circumstances make the case particularly significant.

The separate application made on behalf of Jimmy and Ralph Bulger similarly highlights the exceptional nature of the case, including the original murder, Venables’ later offending, previous recalls to custody and the complicated legal issues surrounding his anonymity.

THE PAROLE HEARING HAS NOT YET BEEN MADE PUBLIC

Despite claims circulating online that Venables has already secured a public parole hearing, the official position is more limited.

The Parole Board has received applications asking for the hearing to be public. A decision on whether the public will actually be allowed to observe the hearing is separate.

The Board’s published information says representations were invited on the applications, with the deadline for representations concerning the Fergus application set for September 10, 2026.

That means the question of transparency remains unresolved.

If permission is granted, safeguards could still be used to protect confidential information and Venables’ legally protected anonymity.

WHY HIS IDENTITY REMAINS PROTECTED

Venables was 10 years old when he and Robert Thompson were convicted of murdering two-year-old James Bulger in 1993.

The High Court granted lifelong anonymity protections for the two offenders. The Parole Board has previously explained that the injunction makes it an offence to publish information likely to lead to Venables’ identification.

That protection remains an important part of any discussion surrounding his parole.

It means that even if a hearing is opened to public observation, it would not automatically mean that Venables’ current identity could legally be revealed.

Sensitive information could also be considered in private sessions.

A CASE THAT HAS RETURNED TO THE PAROLE SYSTEM BEFORE

Venables has previously been released and subsequently recalled to custody after further offending.

Those later offences have become an important part of the arguments surrounding the current request for greater transparency.

The Parole Board’s role is not to retry the original murder case. Its task is to assess whether a prisoner’s risk can be safely managed in the community.

The Board has repeatedly stated that public protection is its primary concern when making parole decisions.

A previous 2023 application by the Bulger family for Venables’ parole hearing to be made public was not granted. The decision at that time also detailed the legal protections surrounding his identity.

DENISE FERGUS HAS CONTINUED TO SEEK ANSWERS

For Denise Fergus, the case has remained a defining part of her life for more than 30 years.

James was just two years old when he was abducted from a shopping centre in Bootle in February 1993.

His murder became one of the most closely followed criminal cases in modern British history.

Fergus has continued to campaign for greater transparency around the treatment and release of those responsible for her son’s death.

The latest application means the family is once again asking the parole system to allow greater public scrutiny.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

The immediate question is whether the Parole Board will approve the request for a public hearing.

The Board’s own records show that public hearings are possible, but they are not automatic. Applications are assessed individually, with considerations including privacy, security, confidential evidence and the interests of justice.

The Board’s 2025/26 annual report said that three public hearings were held during that reporting year, while nine had been held in total since public parole hearings were introduced in 2022.

The Venables case therefore remains under consideration.

For James Bulger’s family, the issue is not simply whether Venables could eventually be released. They are also seeking greater visibility into how that decision is reached — and why.

For now, however, there is no official decision confirming that the Venables parole hearing will be public.

The next development will determine whether the decades-old case is examined behind closed doors once again, or whether the Parole Board allows an unprecedented level of public scrutiny.